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August 1974

I’m 16...my first of many that continue to this day...sojourns to the West is the Best from little old Jackson MS

Long haired led Zep southern boys with weed acid and of course pistols...we’d hiked around College peaks in CO and Bozeman MT area where a pal was in school and then over to Mt Baker then down to Portland for hippie time then to San Fran where we knew older siblings of our contemporaries from back home who’d gone out in 66-68 for all that free love..lol

One had played in Quicksilver Messenger Service and one joined brotherhood of eternal love bunch down in Redondo Beach....an acid slash pot smuggling gang of entrepreneur hippies..lol.....Nick Sand ....Orange Barrel

After the visitation pilgrimage and us being fairly post toastie....we headed over the Bakersfield for the nite....I was already a Merle and Buck fan even then but found Bakersfield to be basically Ardmore Oklahoma moved to southern California near desert

Next day explored death valley and Mojave...but not Joshua Tree...Gram was still freshly deceased still
....the allure not quite cemented.

That night we stayed in Mojave....I remember how it went from over 100 down to below 65 that night ....and so dry and to the SW the whole sky glowed from Los Angeles over 130?...miles away

Next day in unairconditioned Datsun wagon we headed across to Barstow and Needles and by that nite yet again another hippie haven where we knew someone who had a free place to stay....Flagstaff...which I still like...I was just there 2 months ago and ate at that old Mex joint....Kachina as always

Then on to Santa Fe and Taos...my WWII aviator uncle and yes...more hippies..lol

Then Big D with a luxury suite at Fairmont which my aunt helped manage...and back to cotton fields and Jaxfrica

Those were great times...I loved the west...shamey how Cali and Colorado have gone...